How to Clear Your Steam Download Cache: Step-by-Step Guide

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Delete your download cache on Steam

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: November 24, 2025 Fact Checked

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Clearing the Steam Cache

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FAQ

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Having trouble with your Steam downloads? If your games aren't downloading or are stuck, you can try clearing your Steam download cache. This should fix any problems you have with downloads, but keep in mind this will cancel anything you're currently downloading. Here's how to clear the Steam cache using your Windows or Mac computer.

Delete Steam Download Cache

To clear your Steam cache, open Steam, and then click Steam > Settings > Downloads. Look for the "Clear Download Cache" section and click Clear Cache. Click Confirm to start the clearing process. You'll need to sign back into your Steam account afterwards.

Section 1 of 2:

How to Clear Your Steam Cache

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Launch Steam and click Steam in the top menu. This will open a drop-down menu.^{[1]
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- If you're having issues with Steam games not downloading or starting, you can clear your download cache to fix it.
- Clearing your download cache won't uninstall or affect any of your games. However, if you have any games installing or have pending updates, this process will cancel them. Be sure to finish any downloads before beginning.
- This process will also sign you out of your Steam account when you're finished, so be sure you still have your account information to log in again.
A new window will open.

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You can find this in the left panel, between Library and Storage.
You may need to scroll down to find this section.
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Click Confirm. Make sure you have your Steam login information; you'll be logged out once you press this button.
- Your Steam download cache will be cleared. Steam games should download and start normally again.
- Once finished, you can sign into Steam again.

Section 2 of 2:

Frequently Asked Questions

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Does clearing my Steam cache uninstall my games? No, clearing your Steam download cache will not uninstall your games. However, it may stop or reset any games you're currently downloading. This includes any pending game updates.
- You'll also need to log back into Steam once the process is finished.
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Why should I clear my Steam cache? Clearing your Steam cache can help if you can't download or start certain games. This includes games that won't download at all, games that download very slowly, or games that download with corrupted files.
- If you aren't experiencing any issues with your game downloads, you likely don't need to clear your Steam cache yet (or at all).
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Why do I always have to clear my Steam cache? If you need to clear your Steam download cache every time you want to play, this could indicate an underlying issue with your device. Check your computer's disk health for any corrupted data and install any new software updates. You may want to try uninstalling Steam and downloading it again.
- A Reddit user suggested this fix if the issue doesn't go away:
  - Navigate to Steam/steamapps/common and select your game's folder.^{[2]
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  - Delete the installscript.vdf file.
  - Return to Steam/steamapps/common and delete the Steamworks Shared folder.
  - Restart your computer.
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Why is Steam downloading so slowly? If you're experiencing slow download times on Steam, clearing your Steam cache can help if it's an issue on Steam's end. However, you should also check your Wi-Fi network and make sure you have a stable connection. If you share a network with others, it may slow down if more than one device is downloading something at the same time.
- You can also check if you have your download speed limited. This is an option that can be enabled to help save your bandwidth, and it may have been enabled by mistake. To check if it's enabled, click Steam > Settings > Downloads and look for the Limit download speed option. Make sure the switch is set to the "off" position (grey).
  - You can also disable the Throttle downloads while streaming option to make sure this option isn't causing any extra issues.
- Third-party apps, such as VPNs and antivirus software, can also affect your connection to Steam. Try disabling these apps to see if your download speed improves.